The present invention relates generally to techniques for cognitive and/or perceptual testing. More particularly, the present invention relates to remote computer-implemented methods for cognitive and/or perceptual testing to aid in assessing changes in a person""s cognitive and perceptual status and building a testing database including the testing information.
Generally speaking, a cognitive skill may be defined as a decision that takes time to process. There are different components of cognitive skills including, for example, short term and long term memory, planning/prediction, set switching, speed, and spatial orientation. Cognitive testing is well established and there exists an abundant number of cognitive tests that measure different cognitive skills. Conventionally, the testing of cognitive skills consists of a battery of tests. For example, an IQ test can be part of cognitive testing.
A perceptual ability may be defined as a function performed by a primary sensory system. The primary sensory systems include the visual system, auditory system, somatosensory system, etc., and the function typically includes translating information from the external environment to an internal representation thereof. Similarly, perceptual testing is well established and there exists an abundant number of perceptual tests that measure different perceptual abilities. By way of example, auditory threshold tests may be used to measure a person""s hearing threshold over a wide range of frequencies to assess the person""s hearing abilities.
For a potential monitoring program, for example, monitoring a person at risk for a disorder (e.g., depression) that affects cognition and perception, evaluation of the person""s cognitive skill levels and/or perceptual abilities may be desirable. The evaluation may also be desirable for monitoring a person using a biochemical based therapy, behavioral therapy, or any other therapy, where hundreds of different alternatives may be selected from. The evaluation may detect subtle changes in a person""s cognitive skill levels and/or perceptual abilities. These changes in the person""s cognitive and/or perceptual status may predict an impending change in the person""s condition or an impending change in undesirable side effects from their therapy, and allow timely intervention.
In addition, it is often desirable to administer a particular therapy program that has the least undesirable side effects or to intervene with an ongoing therapy in case of the imminent occurrence of an acute crisis in a previously static situation. As different therapy programs may have different effects on specific cognitive skills and/or perceptual abilities, it is desirable to determine which cognitive skills and/or perceptual abilities, and to what extent these skills and/or abilities, are affected by a particular therapy alternative. Based upon this determination, a therapy program may then be elected which may fit the person""s needs best, or a therapy program may be elected to intervene in a previously static condition.
One possible method for measuring a person""s cognitive and/or perceptual status is through cognitive and/or perceptual testing. For example, for a person undergoing a new therapy program, cognitive and/or perceptual testing may allow monitoring and potentially useful feedback of either program efficacy or the presence of side effects due to the therapy.
In the past, cognitive and/or perceptual testing motivated by therapy programs has been limited to low frequency testing such as manual testing. The manual testing usually consists of face-to-face testing in a testing site such as a physician""s office, for example. The testing frequency is then governed by the convenience or ability of the person to travel to the testing site. In another costly example, the person may remain in a hospital for high frequency testing of cognitive and/or perceptual status. However, the dramatic costs of inpatient health care may make this alternative prohibitively expensive. For these reasons, cognitive and/or perceptual testing frequency was usually limited to one test before treatment inception and one test once again several weeks to months afterwards.
Aside from the traditional face-to-face testing, there are current techniques that use computer-implemented methods for cognitive testing. The Neurobehavioral Evaluation System (NES2) as described by Baker et al. of Atlanta, Ga. is a computer-implemented method for testing cognitive skills on a low frequency basis. The testing is administered at a testing site and testing frequency is again limited by the person""s ability to travel to the testing site. Thus, for assessing the effects of a therapy program for example, one disadvantage to the NES2 method is that practical considerations of administering the test at a testing site do not allow for monitoring the affects of the therapy program on a frequent basis.
Current cognitive and perceptual testing methods do not facilitate high frequency cognitive skill and perceptual ability assessment. For the case when monitoring of the cognitive skills and perceptual abilities is required on a daily basis, testing at a testing site is undesirable since it requires an inconvenient amount of travel for the person. In addition, practical considerations may also limit the frequency of testing when the time to travel to the testing center is longer than the testing duration. A further disadvantage of testing cognitive and perceptual status at a testing site, for example, for cases of chronic biochemical-based therapy (such as asthma medication) is the potential undesirable side effects (i.e. drowsiness) of the therapy, which may affect the person""s ability to travel to the testing site.
In view of the foregoing, there are desired improved techniques for admministering and monitoring high-frequency cognitive and/or perceptual testing in a convenient and cost-effective manner.
To achieve the foregoing, the present invention relates to a computer-implemented methods and apparatus for remote cognitive and/or perceptual testing using a computer network having a remote computer geographically separate from an administering computer. The remote cognitive and/or perceptual testing includes administering a set of cognitive and/or perceptual tests, obtaining a performance response of the person to the tests and uploading the testing information via the computer network. Parallel to the testing, a therapy may be administered. The method may also include monitoring the performance of the person on the tests. The computer-implemented method may additionally include administering a set of initial tests before therapy inception to assess a person""s intrinsic cognitive skills and/or perceptual abilities. The results of the initial testing and testing during therapy may be entered into a database. The database may be built from the performance response of multiple people and may be useful in predicting efficacy of a proposed therapy.
In one aspect, cognitive and/or perceptual status may be assessed by a set of interactive computer-implemented exercises, tasks and tests. Typically, the set of interactive exercises, tasks and tests provide an indication of one or more of the individual""s cognitive skills and/or perceptual abilities. The tests may be administered a number of times effective to evaluate the cognitive skill levels and/or perceptual abilities. The testing is typically adaptive to maintain proximity to the subject""s changing status as a result of a therapy program, for example. The adaptations in testing difficulty may be made according to previous response from the subject in one or more tests. Adapting the testing may include changing the tests, testing parameters, exercises and exercise stimuli. To facilitate a high level of engagement, computer-implemented animations and entertainment methods may be implemented in the exercises.
In one embodiment, the testing is applied before a therapy to get a pre-therapy indication of the individual""s cognitive and/or perceptual status and after therapy inception to facilitate comparison. In another embodiment, testing is included regularly in a therapy program, e.g., on a daily basis or periodically during the therapy program. By allowing the subject to test at home, the present invention permits high frequency testing of cognitive skills and/or perceptual abilities. An advantage of the high frequency testing is improved resolution of cognitive and/or perceptual testing data and earlier feedback of therapy efficacy. Indeed, the high frequency testing may allow for detection of a subtle change in cognitive and/or perceptual status before the person is aware. The high frequency testing may also allow earlier intervention if necessary which may prevent long periods of exposure to negative side effects that would be felt if the testing was performed on an infrequent basis.
In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for remotely administering and monitoring cognitive and/or perceptual testing on a human subject, the method being implemented using a computer network having a monitoring computer and a remote administering computer, the remote administering computer being geographically remote from the monitoring computer and local to the human subject. The method comprising administering at least one of a cognitive and/or perceptual test to the human subject and obtaining a performance response of the human subject in the at least one of a cognitive and/or perceptual test. Administering and obtaining the at least one test are performed a number of times effective to evaluate at least one of a cognitive skill and a perceptual ability of the human subject. The method additionally includes uploading, testing information including the performance response from the administering computer via the computer network.
In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for remotely administering perceptual testing on a human subject, the method being implemented using a computer network having a monitoring computer and a remote administering computer, the remote administering computer being geographically remote from the monitoring computer and local to the human subject. The method comprising administering at least one perceptual test to the human subject and obtaining a performance response of the human subject in the at least one perceptual test using the remote administering computer. Administering and obtaining the at least one test are performed a number of times effective to evaluate at least one perceptual ability of the human subject. The method also includes uploading testing information pertaining to the performance response from the administering computer via the computer network.
Embodiments of the present invention also relate to mechanisms for storing and delivering computer readable instructions for remotely administering cognitive and/or perceptual tests for a person. Delivering the computer readable instructions may be across a computer network having an administering computer and a geographically remote computer. Delivering the instructions may include transmission of signals representing instructions for administering a set of cognitive and/or perceptual tests, obtaining a performance response of the person to the tests and uploading the testing information via the computer network to the administering computer.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following descriptions of the invention and a study of the figures.